I ve read it again. I am talking about the number of ships too. we are going to operate only 2 CBG not three so we have enough ships to escort them as well as to do defensive and offensive missions during war.

Why are ships decommissioned? because it has lived up its economic service life anything beyond this will result in a strain in the budget, commissioning a new ships becomes more feasible then life extension of the older ones. INS Viraat is a different story. Read my previous post for better clarification.

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If we can operate ships if necessary even they are not feasible economically. We are talking about national security here.

I ve read it again. I am talking about the number of ships too. we are going to operate only 2 CBG not three so we have enough ships to escort them as well as to do defensive and offensive missions during war.

If we can operate ships if necessary even they are not feasible economically. We are talking about national security here.

Two CBG mate not three.
Happy Independence day to you too.

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Their is a general perception in the air that their should be 3 operational CV force in the IN, my point is, why 3 without increase in the numbers of warships in the fleet, I have also seen people advocating 4 or up to 6 CV on internet my message is not for a particular individual but for anyone who is taking my comments for a concern.

Secondly regarding life extension of warships, an undeserved uneconomical life extension might inversely effect the the security of the nation, Money is not unlimited, budget is not at users disposal, plus we are currently not fighting a war. Why need to supplement national security by putting strain into the budget of the nation which could be done otherwise through proper planning and implementation, National security depends upon multiple factors including a sound economy which is the lifeline for the survival of a nation, but as you have misunderstood the reason for the discussion, it will do no good to continue with the argument, I have been advocating 2 Carrier Vessel, taking the consent of current fleet numbers, you are pointing out the IN is going to operate 2 CV not 3, whats your point?

here is one of my post from where this discussion originated...............

Yes exactly, India will need LHD and amphibious assault ships to complement CV for future power projection and it will help in designing a doctrine for such kind of future ships, instead of more then two aircraft carriers I would have suggest such class of ships for the navy to mobilise a few battalion strength commando troops towards war zone, Aircraft carriers without sufficient escort ship can be vulnerable in a face off situation, with the current strength of 8 destroyers and 12 frigates, I don't think it would be a good idea to increase aircraft carriers in the fleet, either ships would be engaged defending the CV or the CV will be vulnerable otherwise.

On the other note the US is believed to keep strings attached with her military tradings.

Their is a general perception in the air that their should be 3 operational CV force in the IN, my point is, why 3 without increase in the numbers of warships in the fleet, I have also seen people advocating 4 or up to 6 CV on internet my message is not for a particular individual but for anyone who is taking my comments for a concern.

Secondly regarding life extension of warships, an undeserved uneconomical life extension might inversely effect the the security of the nation, Money is not unlimited, budget is not at users disposal, plus we are currently not fighting a war. Why need to supplement national security by putting strain into the budget of the nation which could be done otherwise through proper planning and implementation, National security depends upon multiple factors including a sound economy which is the lifeline for the survival of a nation, but as you have misunderstood the reason for the discussion, it will do no good to continue with the argument, I have been advocating 2 Carrier Vessel, taking the consent of current fleet numbers, you are pointing out the IN is going to operate 2 CV not 3, whats your point?

here is one of my post from where this discussion originated...............

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AK Antony said IN will operate two CBG some months back by 2015. IN wont take any decision based on what some people discussing in message boards.

Extending the life of ships is a stop gap measure until we build new ones. Every navy around the world do this if there is any delay in construction of new ships. I dont see they go bankrupt cos of operating old vessels. Operating some old ships does not make much impact on economy.

You may have started with 2 CBG but later u asked about 3 CBG and the lack of escort vessels for that i replied we are not going to form 3 but only 2.

AK Antony said IN will operate two CBG some months back by 2015. IN wont take any decision based on what some people discussing in message boards.

Extending the life of ships is a stop gap measure until we build new ones. Every navy around the world do this if there is any delay in construction of new ships. I dont see they go bankrupt cos of operating old vessels. Operating some old ships does not make much impact on economy.

You may have started with 2 CBG but later u asked about 3 CBG and the lack of escort vessels for that i replied we are not going to form 3 but only 2.

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hahaha .... I never advocated for a third CV, I was just replying back why not the third one, that's why I asked you to go through the previous posts.

The problem is that you have not gone through the whole of my discussion with manc otherwise you would have known what I was talking about, your mentioned reply of mine was a reply back to manc assuming the view that he was advocating that enough ships are available to form a fleet with more than two aircraft carriers, although if he might had not said the term 3 CV my reply was based on that theory because he quoted my post #23 where I have expressed my view wrt number of aircraft carrier,post #33 indicates that I think that maybe we have enough warships for 2 CV navy, but definitely not enough for the third one as per my original quote in post #23...lol

If INS Viraat has life in it, although her keel was laid in 1944 IN can use it as a helicopter carrier. just chage her steam machinery to diesels, remove ski jump so she can be used as a helicopter carrier.

On a mid-February night in 1991, the mooring of an ONGC jack-up rig, Sagar Shakti, which was undergoing repair at the Cochin Shipyard, snapped.

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It caused an instant scare as the rig went drifting in the direction of the Venduruthy bridge, to the south of the channel. The workmen of the yard were soon joined by sailors of India’s flagship, the newly-acquired aircraft carrier INS Viraat that had just arrived for its maiden refit, to retrieve and refasten the tug and a mishap was averted.

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“It was the start of a long and fruitful association. While the yard had repaired several commercial ships until then, it was our first tryst with a naval vessel and the relationship that took roots then has grown stronger down these years,” recalls N.V. Suresh Babu, director (operations) at Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) who was an assistant manager at that time.

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The first refit of the 28,000-tonne behemoth was a logistics roller coaster for the yard. A merchant ship would, at most, have a crew of about 90 people. With Viraat had arrived about 900 sailors -- which presented the yard with a steep administrative learning curve, as it had to make provision for dining, bath, toilet, galley and accommodation for these many people and allocate extraordinary manpower for work on the vessel.

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The arrival of the icon of the Falklands war was like meeting a mythical giant, as its heroic deeds were doing the rounds. The realisation that the massive platform had a temple, church and a mosque, even a jail, on board, only heightened its mystical charisma. Meanwhile, apprehension was rife about the yard’s capability to refit the warship. But all questions were put to rest when Viraat was seated comfortably on precast concrete blocks padded with felt on February 19, 1991. Cable hangers on the dock would be removed each time Viraat was docked for refit -- short, normal or medium – so as to avoid damage and the Navy was happy to get the ship back on or before the schedule and in immaculate condition.

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Small wonder, then, that Mr. Suresh Babu, who was associated with all the refits of Viraat barring the first, calls it “our vessel”.

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“We took good care of her right through. Each time, Viraat came with a new crew. But our workforce remained largely the same and built a bond with the ship. We have grown fond of the old lady.”

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The first medium refit of Viraat was in 1999 – a Rs. 100-crore job, the largest repair order won by the yard till 2006 – when repair/overhaul of its diesel alternators, boilers, propulsion, elevators and underwater equipment was carried out and the hull strengthened.

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The refit was undertaken to extend its life for a 10-year period when the refurbished Admiral Gorshkov, INS Vikramaditya, would replace it. But the delay in the induction of Vikramaditya forced the Navy to send Viraat for another life-extension refit in 2008, on a budget of Rs 137 crore.

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The just-concluded refit, its last before ending service with the Indian Navy, has rendered Viraat defunct. It will now be towed to Mumbai for decommissioning.

INS Viraat, the world’s oldest aircraft carrier, was accorded a grand send-off from the port city in Kochi on Friday, after over five decades of its service to the Navy. The ship, which underwent a decommissioning refit, is being towed back by three tugs to Mumbai for the decommissioning ceremony, a Navy official said here.

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The final journey of the carrier began with Navy officials led by the Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Nadkarni bidding farewell to the carrier at Ernakulam Wharf of Cochin Port Trust this morning.

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Viraat is expected to be decommissioned by end of this year, after 55 years of service, including 27 years with the Royal Navy (British Navy).

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The Navy has agreed to hand over INS Viraat to Andhra Pradesh government after its decommissioning.

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The AP government had shown a keen interest in getting INS Viraat, the oldest aircraft carrier operated by Indian Navy, to berth in Vizag for promotion of tourism after its decommissioning.

A CAMPAIGN to bring a Barrow-built aircraft carrier back to Britain and transform it into a community hub has begun.

HMS Hermes was laid down in 1944 and was in service with the Royal Navy between 1959 to 1984, serving as the flagship during the Falklands War in 1982. She was sold to the Indian Navy in 1987 and renamed INS Viraat.

Retired in March, after a 58-year career, speculation grew about the future of the vessel and calls were made to transform the carrier with some suggesting it should become a floating naval museum, or a hotel.